morning.
sorry i posted then went to read ds his bedtime story and fell asleep 
i'm wiped out with whatever this latest thing is.
food porn - one of my nicest meals were these little camembert and filo parcels stuffed with duck confit and asparagus.
had paella of course. loved the way you sit down for a glass of wine in a little bar and they bring you over some little dish of who knows what (lucky if you get some wee ridden peanuts in this country), often meat and bread or some kind of fish terrine on bread. one place brought us a little bowl of fire and chorizo-ish sausages to cook on it and eat with crusty bread.
beautiful steak - i don't know why it was so beautiful even, just so tender and full of flavour and served with garlicky porcini mushrooms. that was at my favourite restaurant which was a bit pricey but so nice - la camarilla in cava baja.
hmm what else? little pickled white fish with olives and bread.... went to what the locals say is the best tapas bar in town, it's all round you and you point and pick what you want and stand at the bar eating it and drinking wine or beer out of little bowl-like glasses. on a hungry day i think you could stand there for hours going hmm maybe i'll try this one next.
smoking is still allowed in the bars and restaurants till january - which is quite weird. my favourite coffee place which was a proper peasant spit and sawdust type place full of old men with rattly voices shouting friendlily didn't even bother with ashtrays, just throw it all on the floor along with your rubbish and we'll sweep it later. weird when we're used to smoking being akin to stealing somone's kidney here.
very safe all through the night. wander home from a club at 6am and it still feels safe and you see people around. got to do some very cool 'proper' dancing in a club with some guy who was showing me how, or rather just spinning me about .
love the pace of the place. no one goes out till about 10 when they eat dinner then drink in restaurants and bars till about 1 or 2 then onto clubs. coffee for breakfast then a more serious breakfast late morning.
old madrid where we were is all winding alleyways up and down the hillsides with cobbled streets and little squares. all flows quite nicely so you don't seem to get lost but keep your bearings well.
seriously were lots of positives despite my friends adolescent drama.
there - that's my madrid fill in. no slides, don't worry 